"Stand Up, Stand Up, Against Jesus"

[Gord_in_Toronto]

Stand Up, Stand Up, Against Jesus

Civility has its uses, but we should not be afraid of satire and mockery as weapons against religious power.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2009/nov/06/religion-atheism

There are harmful consequences to real people in the real world if the views of churches and sects are enshrined in law or given undue social deference - the acceptance even in liberal secular societies of conscientious objection as a legitimate reason for health care professionals and even civil servants to refuse to provide professional services to certain citizens is a case in point. For these reasons it is important that we should speak out and publicly contest the special authority that is accorded, all too often, to pontiffs, imams, priests, and presbyters. Religious leaders are not our moral leaders, much as they clamour to be, and however much the politicians flatter them. These spiritual emperors have no clothes, and we shouldn't flinch from saying so.Not as pithy as one of my favourite Mencken quotes but somewhat more modern. ;)

[Eyeron]

Satire and mockery only serve to inflame.

Example: Rush Limbaugh. Everybody hates him because of his "illustrate absurdity by being absurd" mantra. It's more common for people to go how by a person sounds rather than the exact words they use.

[Fnord]

In other words, satire is wasted in those who take everything literally, which is why Poe's Law is valid in such cases.

[Hux]

In the example of Limbaugh, don't thousands like what he says? The reason to dislike Limbaugh is because he's a prick with ideas above his (radio) station.

I think mockery and sarcasm works just fine for religion. It really boils their piss that in most cases they cant burn you to death, torture you, drown you or maim you for your beliefs and, under those circumstances, its far better to taunt these children in adults bodies, with their own ridiculous words and beliefs. Poking them with verbal sticks is fine. I think the freedom to do so, and the delight in doing so, has contributed to slackening religious grip on their self acclaimed moral arbitration.

Religions by their actions against their own kind and against others without their beliefs, have lost all claim to moral high grounds. They try to invade every area of human endeavour with a lost sense of authority.

So I think its fine to mock and satirise them. Just like you would a person who built their lives around "The Three Little Pigs".